Musical instrument



W. P. KISTLER.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

(No Model.)

Patented Mar. 2

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Willi/0,10

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM P. KISTLER, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,040, dated March 2, 1897.

Application filed January l1, 1896. Serial No. 575,133. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. KIs'rLEI-t, a citizen of the United States, residing at Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Musica-l Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to Inake and use the same.

This invention contemplates certain new and useful improvements in musical string instruments, and has for its ob ject the production of simple and improved means whereby certain strings may be kept silent or Inute.77 K

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a plan view. Eig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a view of a bar depressed so as to play a chord in the key of G major. Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating a chord in E minor.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the sounding-board of any usual or preferred construction, the same being divided into two keyboards a a', each of which is provided with a sounding-hole a2. The strings a3 are arranged to correspond with the chromatic scale. The designating musical letter of each string is indicated on each keyboard at ai, each of said letters being located directly under its corresponding string.

B B designate the bars used to mute the strings in playing the various musical chords, the bars B being operated while playing said chords in the major keys, while the bars B' are used in playing the chords in the minor keys. It will be noted that said key-bars are alternately arranged. The bars B and B are provided with projecting end portions Z9, which are designed to iit under the top walls h' of overhanging brackets b2, secured to the top surface of the sounding-board. Said bars are held in a norm ally-raised position by coilsprings b3, encircling studs b4, projecting from the under side of end portions l), and corresponding studs b5, secured to the soundingboard. Each bar B B' is provided with a series of pads C, of felt or like material, which are designed, when said bars are pressed, to engage and Inute all the strings on the keyboard save those strings which comprise the musical chord which it is intended said bar shall indicate. Rounded portions or buttons Z2 are formed on each bar to enable the same to be readily pressed,the buttons on the majorkey bars forming one row and those of the minor-key bars forming a second row parallel with the former.

The alternate bars B B' are arranged in two groups or series D D', the former comprising sixteen bars, which are located over the strings comprising keyboard a, while the latter comprises twelve bars, located over the strings of keyboard a. Each baris numbered consecutively at d, and when depressed Inutes all strings on its keyboard save the four which comprise a musical chord, every three of said bars, taken together, comprising a musical key. By this arrangement of the double keyboard I am enabled to obtain fourteen different musical keys, seven major and seven minor, which cannot be done on a single keyboard, the bars for the major and Ininor keys being alternately arranged together on each keyboard, as shown, and not on separatekeyboards, as is nowcustomary. The chords in the major and minor keys of G, D, C, and F are played with the series D, while the chords of the major and minor keys of A, E, and B are played with series D.

The advantages of my invention are apparent and need not here be set forth. It will be specially observed that the bars can be quickly and uniformly depressed and that all liability of catching or striking is avoided.

I claim as my invention-- rlhe combination with a musical instrument having a double keyboard and strings arranged thereon to represent the chromatic scale, of a central overhanging bracket located between said keyboards, and outer overhanging brackets secured to the outer edges of said keyboards, major and minor key bars alternately arranged over said strings and having projecting end portions iitting under said brackets, studs projecting from the under sides of said projecting end portions, a corresponding series of studs projecting from the sounding-board of said in- TOO strument beneath S21-id brackets, and springs In testimony whereof I affix my signature encircling both sete of studs and ac lztpted to in presence of two witnesses. hold said key-bars 1n a normally-raised pos1- VILLIAM P KISTLER.

tion, the inner ends of said key-bars tting 5 beneath said central bracket, and the outer NVitliesses:

GRANT S. EBY,

ends thereof ittingbeneath said outer brackets, substantially as set forth. y HOWARD A. SCHLENKER. 

